Fugitive recognized, attempts to claim he is just a brother: Middleburg Heights Police Blotter

OBSTRUCTION, BAGLEY ROAD: An auto store manager contacted police after he recognized a known fugitive in his store. Officers spotted the man walking away from the store and stopped him. The man claimed to be the fugitive’s brother and said he had a different name.

The man wasn’t able to produce any identification to verify his story and was arrested. During interrogation, the man admitted to being the fugitive and falsely assuming his brother’s identity.

THEFT OF FIREARMS, BAGLEY ROAD: A retired police officer’s backpack was stolen Feb. 24 while he was visiting a relative in the hospital. Inside was a handgun, prescription medication and tax forms. The theft apparently occurred when he momentarily stepped outside and left the bag in the relative’s room.

DOA, ROSBOUGH DRIVE: Comfort Inn staff called police after a guest locked himself in his room and stopped answering calls from the front desk. Officers entered the room and found the man facedown on the floor. Paramedics declared the man deceased. There were no signs of violence and a bag of crack cocaine was found in the room.

BREAKING AND ENTERING, BAGLEY ROAD: Someone broke into a nail salon Feb. 23. The thief smashed a hole into the bottom half of the salon’s glass doors and then stole an mp3 device, $250 in cash and an e-reading device. Witnesses described the thief as a white male about 45-50 years old.

THEFT, WEST 130th STREET: A man’s phone was stolen Feb. 22 while he was playing basketball at a gym. He left his phone on a nearby table. When he went to retrieve it, the phone was gone.

OVI, PEARL ROAD: A caller reported a drunk driver on I-71 Feb. 22. Officers caught up to the man near the Pearl road exit. After observing the man swerve through lanes of traffic and cut people off, officers turned on their sirens and lights. The man failed to stop and began accelerating.

Officers were given permission to pursue the man. They were able to pull to the vehicle’s side and give the man verbal commands to pull over. The man heard the officers commands, shrugged his shoulders, and kept driving. As the chase stretched on, Strongsville police were called to provide back-up. With the additional cars, officers were able to box the man in and force him to stop.

Once the man’s vehicle had come to a complete stop, Strongsville police ordered the man out of the car. He refused and his car began rolling forward again, toward the officers and their parked cruisers. Strongsville police opened the man’s door, tased him and forced him out of the vehicle. When asked how much he had to drink the man replied, “too much.” While speaking to the man, officers discovered he was diabetic and had dangerous blood-sugar levels. The man was rushed to the hospital. He claimed he was blacked out through the whole incident.

OVI, PEARL ROAD: Officers were dispatched to a gas station after a caller reported that a mother-daughter tandem was refusing to leave the store. When officers arrived the mother was standing outside the store, saying her daughter refused to leave. Officers entered the store and found the daughter sitting next to the vending machines, crying. She said she was refusing to leave the store because her mother had been drinking. The girl contacted her grandmother, who came and picked her up. Officers inspected the mother’s car and found beer in the front seat. The woman had slurred speech, glassy eyes and an odor of alcohol. She refused to take any sobriety tests and was arrested.

THEFT, BARTHOLOMEW DRIVE: A Middleburg Height’s man’s collection of Hawaiian girls calendars was stolen from his front porch Feb. 11. The calendars had been delivered to his house and before the man could retrieve the package, it was stolen.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, PEARL ROAD: A woman was arrested after drunkenly driving into a pole Feb. 16. The woman knocked the pole over, damaged the front of her car, then got out screaming, “I screwed up!” She failed both the field sobriety tests and a breath test.

THEFT, BAGLEY ROAD: While having dinner at Olive Garden, someone broke into a woman’s car, stealing two laptops and a suitcase full of clothes Feb. 19. The thief smashed out the back windows of the car and made off with the goods.

POSSESSION, PEARL ROAD: Officers stopped a man for erratic driving Feb. 22. When asked for his identification, the man fumbled through his wallet and a cellophane packet of pills fell out. The man tried to hide the pills and then claimed he had a prescription for them. He failed a battery of field sobriety tests and was arrested.

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